Download announced their support - EDF Voices: People on the Planet

Statements on Trump’s Rollback of the Clean
Power Plan & Other Clean Air Protections
On March 28, 2017, President Trump signed an executive order that directs the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency to weaken a range of important public heath protections, including steps to revoke the Clean Power Plan,
America’s first-ever nationwide standards to reduce dangerous carbon pollution from power plants. Immediately
after the President signed the executive order, an extraordinarily broad and diverse group of states, power
companies, businesses, health and environmental groups, scientists, and both U.S. and international thought
leaders publically spoke out — some against President Trump’s attack on these vital public health safeguards,
others to reiterate their continued commitment to clean energy, reducing carbon, or addressing climate change.
***
States and Cities

Joint Statement of California Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo:
"Dismantling the Clean Power Plan and other critical climate programs is profoundly misguided and
shockingly ignores basic science. With this move, the Administration will endanger public health, our
environment and our economic prosperity.
“Climate change is real and will not be wished away by rhetoric or denial. We stand together with a
majority of the American people in supporting bold actions to protect our communities from the dire
consequences of climate change.”

Joint statement with governors of California, Oregon, & Washington, and mayors of Los Angeles
(CA), Oakland (CA), Portland (OR), San Francisco (CA), & Seattle (WA): “As the governors of
Washington, Oregon and California and the mayors of Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Oakland and Los
Angeles, we speak today in support of the Clean Power Plan. We speak in unified opposition to the idea
of any decision by the President to limit our region’s economic opportunities or our commitment to
doing what’s right to make our cities and states cleaner and healthier for future generations. …”

Under2 Coalition joint statement with governors of California, Connecticut, Minnesota, New York,
Oregon, & Washington, and mayors of New York City (NY), Oakland, Portland, Sacramento (CA),
& Seattle: “As United States governors and mayors, we speak with one voice against the decision to
review the Clean Power Plan. As members of the Under2 Coalition, we know that the climate crisis
demands global action at every level. As Washington, D.C. delays, the work to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions in our cities and states continues. Our commitment to limiting global average temperature
increase to well below 2°C remains. We will not waver. And we will continue to enlist likeminded cities,
states, regions and countries around the world to join this fight.”

Connecticut Gov. Dan Malloy statement: “The president’s latest executive order signifies a lack of
leadership from Washington on climate change and is a dangerous detour from the progress our nation
has made to protect the quality of the air we breathe and the health of the American public. I strongly
believe that advancing clean energy is about advancing the success of our future. In Connecticut, we
have coupled this forward-thinking vision with first-in-the-nation initiatives that are not only
dramatically reducing carbon pollution, but also embrace new ideas and technologies that are expanding
our economy. This is the approach our entire nation should be taking in order to be a leader in the global
clean energy sector and produce American prosperity and jobs.”
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
Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper press release: “Today’s Executive Order by the President pulling
back on policies addressing climate change will not deter Colorado’s efforts. Natural gas has become
more economical than coal, and Colorado is a national leader on wind and solar energy, which are a
boon to our economy, jobs and the environment.
“Our efforts to clean our air and protect the natural environment are part of what draws young people,
families, and businesses to Colorado. Our outdoor recreation industry, which helps create jobs all across
the state, is dependent upon cleaner air and water. We have a history of solving complex problems and
taking action to move the state closer to meeting its clean air goals, and we have shown that we can have
cleaner air and reduce harmful carbon emissions at essentially no additional cost‒ potentially even
saving money for Colorado families.
“We will keep building a clean energy future that creates Colorado jobs, improves our health and
addresses the harmful consequences of a changing climate.”

Delaware Gov. Jay Carney quote: “It’s a bad idea to abandon any tools that help us combat the real
effects of climate change," said Gov. John Carney, in an email Tuesday afternoon. "Delaware is already
experiencing sea level rise twice as fast as the global average. More than 17,000 homes in Delaware are
at risk of permanent inundation, and many more experience costly flooding. In addition to sea level rise,
increased high heat days and changing precipitation patterns threaten Delaware’s essential $8 billion
agricultural industry, and pose critical health threats. The safety and health of Delawareans, our
economy, and our natural resources are dependent not only on our actions as a state, but on a shared,
urgent commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”

Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton statement: “Today’s action marks the latest in a series of destructive
Executive Orders from President Trump. This new order will do irreparable damage to our environment
and our economy. It will give a ‘license to pollute’ to industries across the United States, at the expense
of clean air, clean water, and clean energy.
“As damaging as this executive order will be for the nation, and for the world, it will not deter our efforts
here in Minnesota. We will continue to build on the progress of our nation-leading Next Generation
Energy Act, and redouble our commitment to providing clean, affordable water for all Minnesotans.
“Even as the Trump Administration seeks to roll back a decade of hard-fought progress, Minnesota will
not flinch. We will show the nation what can be achieved by working together to solve the challenges
facing our people, our economy, and our environment. We will share best practices with other states, and
work with them to mitigate the damaging impacts of the President’s dangerous and divisive policies.”

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said it represents an "existential threat" to the city. "We're already
experiencing rising seas and hotter weather, with the last three years on record as the hottest yet. At the
same time, the effects of climate change will fall disproportionately on our most vulnerable
communities, exacerbating inequality," he said.

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf statement: “The science of climate change is settled and the President’s
actions today turn the federal government’s back on Pennsylvania’s environment and our economy.
Today’s action by the President will do nothing to help coal communities but will exacerbate the
negative impact climate change is having on our economy – from agriculture to tourism.
“Nevertheless, Pennsylvania, as a major energy provider, will continue to reduce pollution thanks to
market decisions in the power sector, increased reliance on clean energy and improved energy
efficiency, and improved oversight of emissions of potent greenhouse gasses such as methane.
“This is an issue that should not be driven by partisan politics and empty rhetoric, or a false choice
between jobs and the environment. Rather, we should be focused on implementing balanced policies to
protect our environment, create good paying jobs in the energy sector, and grow our economy.
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“We can reduce Pennsylvania’s carbon emissions — while creating new, good-paying jobs — by
promoting a cleaner energy mix including wind, nuclear, solar, energy efficiency, natural gas and clean
coal. My administration will continue to actively seek ways to reduce the impact of climate change on
our citizens and businesses.”

Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection Acting Secretary Patrick McDonnell called
Trump’s action “disappointing,” saying the state is already experiencing the effects of climate change.
“The changing climate is the most significant environmental threat facing the world, and emissions from
the United States are a significant cause,” McDonnell says in a statement. “Pennsylvania has already
experienced a long-term warming of nearly two degrees over the past century, and this trend is expected
to accelerate. Ignoring the problem will only make conditions worse for our communities and economy
and environment in the future.”

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe statement: “The actions President Trump took today threaten our
environment, our security and our ability to compete in the global economy. It is impossible and
downright reckless to deny the science of global warming or the impact it is already having on states like
Virginia. Sea level rise and extreme weather are already impacting Virginia families, businesses and key
military assets like the world’s largest naval base in Norfolk. The Clean Power Plan not only provides a
necessary response to the threat of climate change; it also provides a stable regulatory environment that
is essential for businesses to make long-term investments and create new jobs.
“We have a choice: we can lead this fight and capitalize on the unprecedented economic potential of
clean energy, or we can bury our heads in the sand and waste an opportunity to create the next generation
of energy jobs. Here in the Commonwealth, we will continue to confront the impacts of climate change
and support clean energy investments that will grow our economy and shape our future.”

Washington Governor Jay Inslee statement: “Climate change remains one of the most urgent issues
facing leaders at all levels of government in all corners of the world. Washington state remains wholly
committed to doing our part,” Inslee said. “Action is needed now to grow our economy, protect our
health and secure our quality of life. President Trump’s decision to ax the Clean Power Plan cedes U.S.
global leadership and increases the risk that climate change will continue to damage our state. We can’t
afford to slow our efforts, and we won’t.”

41 mayors, including of Atlanta (GA), Boston (MA), Chicago (IL), Columbia (SC), Durham (NC),
Fayetteville (AR), Houston (TX), Knoxville (TN), Los Angeles, New Orleans (LA), New York City,
Philadelphia (PA), Pittsburgh (PA), San Francisco, Seattle, & Washington, D.C.: “As members of
the Mayors National Climate Action Agenda (MNCAA), we represent more than 41 million Americans
in 75 cities across our nation — in red and blue states alike. We write to strongly object to your actions to
roll back critically important U.S. climate policies including the Clean Power Plan and vehicle fuel
efficiency standards, as well as proposed budget cuts to the EPA and critical federal programs like
Energy Star.
“Climate change is both the greatest single threat we face, and our greatest economic opportunity for our
nation. That is why we affirm our cities’ commitments to taking every action possible to achieve the
principles and goals of the Paris Climate Agreement, and to engage states, businesses and other sectors
to join us.”

A coalition of 23 top legal officials, including 17 Attorneys General of New York, California,
Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Iowa, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Mexico,
Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, & the District of Columbia, as well as the
chief legal officers of 6 cities: Boulder (CO), Chicago (IL), New York (NY), Philadelphia (PA),
South Miami (FL), & Broward County (FL):
“We strongly oppose President Trump’s executive order that seeks to dismantle the Clean Power Plan.
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Addressing our country’s largest source of carbon pollution—existing fossil fuel-burning power plants—
is both required under the Clean Air Act and essential to mitigating climate change’s growing harm to
our public health, environments, and economies. We won’t hesitate to protect those we serve—including
by aggressively opposing in court President Trump’s actions that ignore both the law and the critical
importance of confronting the very real threat of climate change.”
***
Members of Congress
U.S. Senators

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) (statement): “The overwhelming scientific consensus is that climate
change is real and manmade. The White House and congressional Republicans need to accept that fact.
Republican leaders shouldn’t be trying to undermine the progress we’ve made in order to satisfy their
ideological aversion to reality.”

Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) (Twitter): President Trump just threw away a plan to combat climate
change & protect the air we breathe. Three words of advice: rescind it now.

Sen. Michael Bennett (D-CO) (Twitter): “Anti-climate EO could harm Western states’ economy,
environment, & security. We call on @POTUS to rescind this Order.”

Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) (statement): “I am deeply concerned by this latest action by the Trump
administration to reverse our efforts to protect our national security, our environment, and our economy
by working to address and reverse the impacts of climate change. The United States has long been a
global leader in the effort to fight climate change, and U.S. leadership made it possible to bring 195
countries, including China, together on an international climate agreement to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions in 2015. While the White House has not signaled whether it intends for the U.S. to remain in
the Paris Agreement, the Trump administration’s actions today are yet another step backwards
undermining our commitments to address climate change and embrace a clean energy future.”

Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE) (Twitter): “Walking away from the #CleanPowerPlan will have real costs to
our environment, our economy and our health.”

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) (Twitter thread): “With today's exec order, Pres Trump is turning his back on
decades of bipartisan environmental progress.”

Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) (Twitter): “Trump's EO = a giveaway to #BigOil & coal corporations at the
expense of taxpayers, progress on #climatechange, clean energy & public health.”
(Twitter) “Deny, delay, defund. That's is the Trump #climate policy. Trump's executive order is a massive
giveaway to #BigOil & coal corporations.”

Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) (quote, E&ENews): "President Trump is either ignorant to the basic
facts of climate change, or he is willfully poisoning our atmosphere to benefit Big Oil and wealthy special
interests. The health and prosperity of all Americans is at risk," Van Hollen said yesterday. "We must
fight back, and I plan to reintroduce the 'Healthy Climate and Family Security Act' this spring as part of
that effort."

Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) (quote): “I hope the president is as focused on the coal miners’ pensions
and healthcare as he is in making them promises that aren’t going to come to fruition in terms of a big
uptick in coal miners’ jobs.”

Sen. John Tester (D-MT) (quote): “Pulling the plug on the Clean Power Plan doesn’t fully address the
real challenges of Montana families who rely on the coal industry,” said Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont. “I hope
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the administration will now work with Montanans to create good-paying energy jobs while protecting
clean air and clean water.”

Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) (Statement): “Today is a sad day for our nation, and for our planet. With the
stroke of his pen, President Trump is doing serious damage to nearly a decade of progress on one of the
most defining – and important – issues of our time. Climate change is an urgent economic and national
security challenge that is already beginning to have disastrous effects.
“This Executive Order only makes sense if you think climate change is a hoax created by China and
you’re living in a state of denial about the very real harm it is doing to our environment, our economy,
and our world. This order will set back our nation’s progress in combatting the threat of climate change,
and hurt the emerging clean energy industry – putting us behind global competitors and costing American
jobs in the long run.
“I plan to do everything in my power to oppose this executive action every step of the way.”

Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) (joint statement with Sen. Tom Udall (D-NM)): “We stand ready to
work with you and your Administration in reaching a balance between achieving energy independence,
promoting innovation, and growing our rural economies,” the Senators wrote in the letter. “Unfortunately,
your Executive Order takes the nation in the wrong direction. In order to account for the unique needs of
our Western states, we respectfully request you rescind the Energy Independence Executive Order.”

Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) (Twitter): “By rolling back the #CleanPowerPlan the Admin is making
communities across the country more vulnerable to #climatechange than ever before.”

Sen. Tom Udall (D-NM) (Twitter): “Tmw @POTUS will sign an order to kill the #CleanPowerPlan.
#NM knows this could be terrible for our health & economy.”

Sen. Catherine Cortez-Masto (D-NV) (Twitter): “Rolling back #CleanPowerPlan will exacerbate health
concerns and negatively impact Nevada’s clean energy and outdoor recreation economies.”
(Twitter) “It is an understatement to say that Trump's executive order to reverse environmental
protections will put us decades behind on progress.”

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) (Twitter): “Our country could lead on climate, but instead, President
Trump decides to roll back environmental protections.”

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY):
(Twitter) “If there was any doubt that big oil was back in charge under the Trump administration, today’s
executive order lays that to rest.”
(Twitter) “The US should be investing in cleaner water & air & renewable energy, not ignoring scientific
facts & rolling back #climatechange progress. “
(Twitter) “Trump admin has put American people's health & our planet's future on the back burner, lining
the pockets of big oil & special interests.”

Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) (Twitter): If “@WhiteHouse wants to help coal miners, work w/us to pass
#MinersProtectionAct & safeguard the healthcare and retirement miners earned.-SB.”

Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) (Twitter): “By trying to roll back #CleanPowerPlan, @realDonaldTrump is
tragically pushing our nation back – w/ job losses, sicker kids, & wasted tax $$.”

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR): Twitter thread

Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA): (Statement) “The people of Pennsylvania have a right to clean air and clean
water and this executive order will undermine that fundamental right and do nothing to improve the
economy in coal mining communities. The Clean Power Plan is vital to tackling climate change, getting
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control of our energy future and creating clean energy jobs. This executive order endangers all of these
priorities.
“President Trump promised he would fight for coal mining communities, but so far he’s broken his
promise. The pensions of over 89,000 miners across the nation and 12,951 in Pennsylvania are in danger,
on March 1, approximately 22,800 of our nation’s retired coal miners began receiving notices the health
care they worked all their lives to secure, will be terminated.
“It’s time for President Trump to urge Republicans in Washington to pass the Miners Protection
Act. President Trump should stand up to far right congressional Republicans and restore the cuts to the
Appalachian Regional Commission which invests in coal mining communities and is decimated under his
budget. These communities deserve a fair shot and it’s time President Trump kept his promises instead of
issuing executive orders that don’t create jobs and put the health of Pennsylvanians at risk.”

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) (statement): ““Just a few years ago, Donald Trump and his children
supported ‘meaningful and effective measures’ to fight climate change, calling it ‘scientifically
irrefutable’ and its consequences ‘catastrophic’ and ‘irreversible’. Today he began to unravel the Clean
Power Plan, one of the most important actions we have taken to fight climate change, just like the big
polluters wanted.”
“No matter what the fossil fuel industry and its lackeys may claim, it’s cheap natural gas that’s killing
coal – not environmental protections. The Clean Power Plan is a reasonable approach to confronting our
carbon problem that gives states flexibility and will save Americans on energy costs. And meeting our
obligations under the Paris Climate Agreement will cement American leadership and credibility on
climate change around the world.
“I suspect lawyers will quickly force these agencies back on course. In the meantime, this delay and
distraction serves only the fossil fuel industry and its front groups.”

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) (statement): “The Clean Power Plan requires the U.S. to reduce its carbon
pollution by about 1/3 over 15 years. America went to the moon in half that time. For people who say
they want to make America great again, I’m struck by President Trump’s and Scott Pruitt’s lack of faith
in American innovation. Our energy strategy should always be getting cleaner tomorrow than today.
Judging from this Executive Order, President Trump’s energy strategy is to let polluters pollute however
much they want and to tell people in flood-prone regions like Hampton Roads that the problem is all in
their heads.”

Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) (statement): “These cynical and patently misleading actions are damaging in
many ways to our economy and to the public’s health. This is part of the ‘know-nothing’ anti-science
agenda that President Trump and many Republicans in Congress continue to pursue, undermining sound
policy decisions and setting back America’s technological leadership and American jobs in the emerging
clean energy economy. This will cost us precious time and initiative in establishing our world lead in
these new clean energy technologies.”

Statement by Western Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Catherine Cortez
Masto (D-NV), Diane Feinstein (D-CA), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Jeff
Merkley (D-OR), Patty Murray (D-WA), Tom Udall (D-NM), and Ron Wyden (D-OR):
Western Senators Urge President to Rescind Anti-Climate Executive Order: The Senators wrote that the
Order “fails to bring clean energy jobs to our rural communities, ignores the impacts that extreme weather
will have on our economy and our national security, and does not decrease our reliance on foreign oil.
“We stand ready to work with you and your Administration in reaching a balance between achieving
energy independence, promoting innovation, and growing our rural economies,” the Senators wrote in the
letter. “Unfortunately, your Executive Order takes the nation in the wrong direction. In order to account
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for the unique needs of our Western states, we respectfully request you rescind the Energy Independence
Executive Order.”
U.S. Representatives

Rep. Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) (Twitter): “Admin exec order rolling back #climatechange regulations
harmful to #SoFla and will not help combat #SeaLevelRise http://bit.ly/2ns1OmW.”

Rep. Curbelo (R-FL) (quote): “While I am encouraged the Administration did not ask the EPA to
reconsider its endangerment finding, which declares greenhouse gas pollution threatens human health and
welfare, today's rollback of emission standards is misguided.“

Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragán (D-CA) (statement): “President Trump’s executive order guts our climate
policies and clean energy jobs in order to boost the profits of corporate polluters. In my district, there are
kids who walk around with asthma inhalers around their neck. These actions are an attack on the very air
we breathe, the water we drink, and the land on which we stand. My constituents and I care about a safe,
clean and healthy environment and we will not let the Trump Administration get away with destroying
it.”

Rep. Linda Sánchez (D-CA) (statement): “Today is another example of how President Donald Trump’s
policies are not helping America’s working families. His executive order rolling back the Clean Power
Plan does not help create jobs. Instead, it will make our communities sicker and allow polluters to
continue poisoning our air and our water while pocketing even greater profits.
“Nationwide, 31% of Latinos live within 30 miles of a power plant and are 165% more likely to live in
counties with unhealthy levels of pollution. The consequences of these environmental conditions are
evident in the high rates of asthma and other illnesses among Latinos. Instead of fighting for healthier
communities, this president is doing everything in his power to make it easier to pollute our environment.
“As long this president and his administration continue to deny the overwhelming consensus in the
scientific community, it will be the working men and women of this country who will pay the greatest
price. They will pay with the health and wellbeing of their families.”

Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH) (Twitter): ““He can’t bring them back.”-- Robert Murray, founder & CEO of
Murray Energy. Must turn to build new/clean economy!”

Rep. Tim Walz (D-MN) (Twitter): “.@POTUS’ #ClimateInactionEO blatantly disregards science & the
risks #climatechange poses to our nat’l security, food security & environment.”

Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) (Twitter): “Trump & GOP can't repeal science, technology &
economics. We need #CleanPowerPlan to #ActonClimate.”

Rep. Jim Langevin (D-RI) (statement): “President Trump’s short-sighted executive order to begin
repealing the Clean Power Plan is an assault to the health of the public and the planet. The Clean Power
Plan is an important blueprint to reduce the amount of emissions pouring into our atmosphere that pose
significant long-term negative public health effects and will cause irreversible environmental damage.
Building on the legacy of the Clean Air Act, this plan is helping us address this ongoing existential crisis
for our planet, and reversing direction now will only worsen the effects of climate change. The Executive
Order also risks jeopardizing the significant gains made by the Obama Administration in negotiating the
Paris Agreement to reduce climate damage on a global scale.”

Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) (Twitter): “#Trump just overturned #CleanPowerPlan putting our health &
climate at serious risk. Now more than ever we must #DefendClimate #ActOnClimate.”

Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA) (Twitter): “We should do more to protect our communities, not roll back
enviro protections under guise of saving American jobs.”
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***
NGOs and Advocates
Faith Communities

Episcopal bishops issue statement in response to Trump’s executive order on climate change:
http://episcopaldigitalnetwork.com/ens/2017/03/28/episcopal-bishops-issue-statement-in-response-totrumps-executive-order-on-climate-change/ “As Episcopal bishops, we call on the Trump Administration
to protect the American people through implementing, strengthening, and improving critical climate
change policies in our national agenda, building an American dream that courageously confronts the
climate crisis.”

Rabbi Jonah Dov Pesner, Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, issued the
following statement on behalf of the Union for Reform Judaism, Central Conference of American
Rabbis and wider Reform Movement: “We strongly condemn the President’s executive order rolling
back the Clean Power Plan and other vital environmental provisions. The Clean Power Plan gave states a
framework for progress in the sacred work of safeguarding our earth’s natural resources and aiding
communities impacted by our changing climate. Undoing regulations designed to address climate change
threatens our environment and public health. …” http://www.rac.org/reform-jewish-leader-decriesexecutive-order-rolling-back-clean-power-plan

Friends Committee on National Legislation (Quaker advocacy group): “This Executive Order takes
our nation in a destructive direction on climate change,” said Emily Wirzba, Policy Associate for
Sustainable Energy and Environment at FCNL. “As a global leader, the US must meaningfully address
climate change, protect vulnerable communities, and preserve God’s creation. Instead of dismantling
vital climate infrastructure, the President should work with the bipartisan group of legislators in
Congress that are eager to address climate change through economically viable solutions.”
https://www.fcnl.org/updates/energy-independence-executive-order-dismantles-climate-action-712

Sisters of Mercy: “The Sisters of Mercy Institute Leadership Team has consistently called for
government policies to address climate change from our deep commitment to reverence Earth and to
work more effectively toward the sustainability of life. We are therefore compelled to express our deep
concern regarding President Trump's roll back of regulations designed to reduce carbon emissions.”
https://www.sistersofmercy.org/about-us/news-and-events/mercy-deeply-concerned-about-rollback-ofregulations-to-reduce-carbon-emissions/?t=news

Citing the efforts by Pope Francis, Pope Benedict, St. John Paul II and the U.S. bishops to address the
importance of protecting the environment, Dan Misleh, executive director of the Catholic Climate
Covenant, said Trump’s action “neither protects our common home nor promotes the common good.”
“The administration claims that these new orders will create jobs and grow the economy,” Misleh said in
a statement March 28, the day Trump signed the order. “The fact is, however, that those who work in
energy conservation and renewable energy are already experiencing an economic boom.”
http://catholicphilly.com/2017/03/news/national-news/catholic-advocates-critical-of-trumps-order-toreview-clean-power-plan/

According to Patrick Carolan, executive director of the Franciscan Action Network, Trump’s order
indicates the administration “does not care about climate change” or protecting people of color and lowincome and indigenous communities that are most likely to experience the effects of pollution. “By
cutting the Clean Power Plan, the administration is demonstrating that corporate polluters are more
important than the health and prosperity of our common home,” Carolan said in a statement.
http://catholicphilly.com/2017/03/news/national-news/catholic-advocates-critical-of-trumps-order-to8
review-clean-power-plan/
Patrick Carolan, Franciscan Action Network Executive Director, said:
“Pope Francis reminds us in Laudato Si that our sisters and brothers in the Global South are most
affected by the giant polluters in the first world. We have a moral responsibility to care for our
neighbors, across the street and across the world. By eliminating the Clean Power Plan the
administration is showing that they value profits over human beings, many of whom are suffering now
from our selfish decisions.”
https://www.greenforall.org/trump_s_executive_order_repeals_environmental_protections_hurts_people
_he_claims_he_wants_to_help
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Evangelical Environmental Network President & CEO Rev. Mitch Hescox: “We are profoundly
disappointed in President Trump’s Executive Order today that begins a process of reversing years of
progress on reducing carbon pollution. What we have, in effect, is “repeal” but no “replace.” … The
absence of a strong climate policy means more dangerous pollution that harms the unborn and children.”
http://www.creationcare.org/president_trump_takes_us_in_the_wrong_direction_on_climate_change_an
d_clean_energy
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Presbyterian Church Office of Public Witness Director, Rev. Jimmie Hawkins: “The President’s
Executive Order on climate change is a tragic turn for the future of this nation and for the entire planet.
… His signature threatens the health of children already suffering with respiratory illness, endangers
seniors living in environments already polluted by industrial waste and places at risk the well-being of
every living person the world around. We can protect the environment and affirm the dignity of work as
we come together to produce solutions which enhance all aspects of created life. But environmental
justice must be a priority or we will not have a future to work towards.”
http://officeofpublicwitness.blogspot.com/2017/03/the-executive-order-on-climate.html

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA): The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
(ELCA) is committed to supporting policies that safeguard God’s creation, address the impacts of
climate change on our most vulnerable brothers and sisters, and fulfill our moral obligation to future
generations. Because of these commitments, ELCA Advocacy is deeply concerned about the White
House’s executive action taken on March 28, 2017 to eradicate our nation’s progress in combating
climate change. http://blogs.elca.org/advocacy/elca-advocacy-response-presidential-executive-orderpromoting-energy-independence-economic-growth/

Church World Service: “CWS is deeply disturbed by the new Executive Order signed today by
President Trump, which effectively dismantles work painstakingly undertaken over many decades to
protect the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people. By cutting back programs specifically designed
to reduce carbon emissions, further damage — potentially irreparable — will be done to God’s Earth;
this in turn, will place hundreds of thousands more of already at-risk communities in harm’s way.”
https://cwsglobal.org/climate-change-executive-order/

United Church of Christ: “Recent actions by the Administration to rollback environmental protections
and responsible measures to address climate change are seen by us as a crime against humanity – an act
that ensures the ongoing destruction of the planet and endangers future generations on whose behalf we
are charged with stewarding God's creation. The response of the faith community must be proportional
to the threat. Because climate change makes all other injustice worse, now is the time for us to step up.”
http://www.ucc.org/ucc_leaders_the_earth_is_the_lords_03292017?recruiter_id=148006

The Vatican: “Fortunately, in the United States, there are dissenting voices, people who are against
Trump's positions," said Cardinal Peter Turkson, who is from Ghana and was one of the driving forces
behind the pope's 2015 encyclical letter on environmental protection. “This, for us, is a sign that little by
little, other positions and political voices will emerge and so we hope that Trump himself will reconsider
some of his decisions.” http://www.reuters.com/article/us-climatechange-trump-vaticanidUSKBN1711TV?il=0
9
Environmental & Climate Justice

Appalachian Voices: “I don’t see this creating a big change for the industry, especially for coal-mining
jobs,” said Thom Kay, a legislative representative for the environmental group Appalachian Voices.
https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2017-03-27/trump-s-order-won-t-resurrect-jobs-of-minerskey-to-his-campaign

Kentuckians for the Commonwealth: “The Clean Power Plan is not the reason miners in Kentucky lost
their jobs, and reversing this rule will not bring those jobs back,” said ex-KFTC chairperson Dana
Beasley Brown. “As Kentuckians, we have to work for the kinds of solutions we know can provide good
jobs, allow people to stay and live in their communities, take care of their families, and not have to make
the choice between being healthy and having a good job.”
https://www.kftc.org/blog/trump%E2%80%99s-climate-denials-take-away-opportunities-jobs-andbetter-health-kentucky
Chris Porter with Kentuckians for the Commonwealth worries future generations will pay if immediate
action is not taken to combat climate change. "Our future children and grandchildren are going to be
footing a bill for costs that we're incurring now when we could be taking measurable actions to do
something now," Porter said.” http://www.wymt.com/content/news/Trump-signs-order-rolling-backenvironmental-efforts-417355793.html

Vien Truong, National Director, Green For All, said: “We fought long and hard to make the Clean
Power Plan a reality. By cutting carbon pollution from power plants, it aims to spark innovation, drive
investment and energy efficiency to create jobs and save families money. Most importantly, it has the
potential to address power plant pollution in the communities most vulnerable to asthma and other health
impacts,” Vien Truong, director of Green For All. “It’s clear that Trump is determined to protect the
fossil fuel industry, no matter the cost. Green For All will continue to stand with frontlines families and
our most vulnerable to enact policies that create jobs and cut carbon pollution to protect the health of our
kids.”
https://www.greenforall.org/trump_s_executive_order_repeals_environmental_protections_hurts_people
_he_claims_he_wants_to_help

Elizabeth Yeampierre, UPROSE, executive director said: “The EPA’s rollback of basic
environmental rules demonstrates that when it comes to the health of our children, our communities, and
our climate, this is an administration of lawlessness and disorder. For frontline communities, those of us
impacted first and worst by the extraction economy, this means an escalation of public health crises,
from asthma to cancer. It means an utter disregard for those of us most vulnerable to climate disasters. It
means a world of volatility and exploitation for our children and grandchildren. As a member of the
climate justice movement, we stand defiant in the face of these orders and are prepared to hold the line.
We will meet these violent policies with a deeper commitment to a Just Transition away from fossil
fuels, toward renewable energy, local resiliency, and a regenerative economy worthy of leaving our
children.”
https://www.greenforall.org/trump_s_executive_order_repeals_environmental_protections_hurts_people
_he_claims_he_wants_to_help

Kari Fulton, Environmental Justice Community Organizer, Empower DC said: “A rollback on
environmental regulations hits our communities first and worst. Low-income communities in the
Nation’s Capitol oftentimes live near polluting industries like trash transfer stations, concrete yards and
major highways. DC is also a federal district that relies heavily on budget approval from the federal
government to help regulate these industries and to protect our health. Cuts to regulations just means
increases in health burdens like Asthma, Cancer, COPD and more. Sometimes Big Energy and Polluters
10
say they are offering jobs but we don’t see these jobs. People from Maryland and Virginia are working
these polluting jobs then driving back home away from our communities.”
https://www.greenforall.org/trump_s_executive_order_repeals_environmental_protections_hurts_people
_he_claims_he_wants_to_help

Adrienne L. Hollis, Director of Federal Policy, WE ACT for Environmental Justice, said:
“Today’s devastating rollback of the Clean Power Plan (CPP) will severely impact vulnerable
populations nationwide. Withdrawing the protections offered by the CPP leaves frontline communities
vulnerable to environmental onslaughts caused by climate change. Not only that, but communities of
color and/or those of low socio-economic status are more impacted by the air pollution surrounding
power plants. Living near power plants causes increased respiratory illnesses, including asthma and
COPD, and increased cancer rates. The Clean Power Plan was and is not only an opportunity to curb the
impacts of climate change, but to reduce decades of environmental health inequity.”
https://www.greenforall.org/trump_s_executive_order_repeals_environmental_protections_hurts_people
_he_claims_he_wants_to_help

Cindy Wiesner, National Coordinator, Grassroots Global Justice Alliance, said:
“The Trump administration continues to demonstrate their value of profit over people, of corporations
over the environment, and of greed over a sustainable future. We know that the impacts of climate
change fall most directly on Indigenous people and communities of color. These frontline communities
are leading movements around the world toward Just Transition and sustainable energy. Pruitt and this
administration are trying to drag us back to dirty coal, an industry that not only destroyed land and water
and burned the planet, but also plummeted deeply in global markets. Now is the time to build an
economy for our future, not tie ourselves to the dying past.”
https://www.greenforall.org/trump_s_executive_order_repeals_environmental_protections_hurts_people
_he_claims_he_wants_to_help

Rae Breaux, Lead Climate Justice Organizer, People’s Action Institute, said:
“These direct threats are a direct threat to low-income communities, and low-income communities of
color. President Trump has made it clear that he will fast-track profits for corporations before he invests
in the needs of the American people. We need a United States that prioritizes the health and wellbeing
of its people so we can thrive as a nation. Now is the time to come together and build an economy where
investments are made to benefit workers, communities of color, women, and low-income folks, not the
fossil fuel industry.”
https://www.greenforall.org/trump_s_executive_order_repeals_environmental_protections_hurts_people
_he_claims_he_wants_to_help

Rev Lennox Yearwood Jr., President and CEO of Hip Hop Caucus, said:
“Communities of color, low income communities, and indigenous communities stand to benefit from the
implementation of the Clean Power Plan. If it is rescinded it will have significant public health impacts
on our most vulnerable communities. Fossil fuels and the carbon that it burns are directly linked to
climate change and environmental pollution. The fossil fuel industry knows this and uses climate
deniers, like Scott Pruitt, to obscure the truth in the same fashion that the tobacco industry, pesticides
and others like them have done to get every last dollar of profit while hurting people as well as the land,
air, and water. Backed by campaign contributions from the oil and gas industry, it’s clear that Pruitt and
the Trump Administration’s primary interest is in that of protecting the fossil fuel industry, which cannot
be trusted to tell us the truth.”
https://www.greenforall.org/trump_s_executive_order_repeals_environmental_protections_hurts_people
_he_claims_he_wants_to_help

Tom BK Goldtooth, Executive Director, Indigenous Environmental Network, said:
“President Donald Trump tearing apart the CPP is an act of aggression and violence against the
sacredness of Mother Earth and Father Sky. Our indigenous prophecies and teachings tell us that Life as
we know it is in danger. The atmosphere and the environment cannot absorb anymore concentration of
greenhouse gases. As Indigenous Peoples, we still understand our responsibility as guardians and the
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need to take action as defenders of the Earth. Indigenous peoples will not stand idle as we tell the world
the Earth is the source of life to be protected, not merely a resource to be exploited and abused.”
https://www.greenforall.org/trump_s_executive_order_repeals_environmental_protections_hurts_people
_he_claims_he_wants_to_help

Kali Akuno, Cooperation Jackson Co-Founder/ Co-Director and Climate Justice Alliance
Member, said:
“This is nothing short of a declaration of war against humanity and all complex life. The question is what
are we going to do about it? How do we strengthen the climate justice movement in this era, under these
circumstances?”
https://www.greenforall.org/trump_s_executive_order_repeals_environmental_protections_hurts_people
_he_claims_he_wants_to_help

Christopher Ramirez, Conservation Voters New Mexico Juntos Director, said:
“The Clean Power Plan would have positively impacted clean air for Latina/o/x communities like where
I live in Albuquerque’s South Valley. In addition to reducing carbon pollution from coal and natural gas
burning power plants in Northwest New Mexico, the Clean Power Plan would have shifted control of
energy decisions and sourcing to local communities with energy sovereignty. Latina/o/c families want
clean air and renewable energy including have the choice for their energy be theirs. The CPP would also
mean investment in renewable energy and good and green jobs for Latina/o/x and other families in New
Mexico. Juntos and the neighborhoods we organize with will continue to push for clean air, renewable
energy, just transition and engagement of environmental justice communities at all levels of decision
making processes.”
https://www.greenforall.org/trump_s_executive_order_repeals_environmental_protections_hurts_people
_he_claims_he_wants_to_help

Angela Adrar, Executive Director, Climate Justice Alliance, said:
“We honor the hard work of those in our movement who have fought over generations to provide
institutional safety guards to frontline communities suffering from systemic environmental racism, an
extractive economy, and business as usual. The Our Power Plan, our commitment to real solutions
derived from Indigenous Sovereignty, Energy Democracy, and an overall Just Transition to a
regenerative economy have historically guided our recommendations to improve these institutions, tools,
and agreements. Moving forward CJA members would benefit from having these tools, such as the CPP,
improved not gutted to best address the needs of environmental justice and climate justice frontline
communities.”
https://www.greenforall.org/trump_s_executive_order_repeals_environmental_protections_hurts_people
_he_claims_he_wants_to_help

“The South is poised to gain from the Clean Power Plan, with thousands of new jobs in our region, yet
today’s action jeopardizes that,” said Frank Rambo, senior attorney for the Southern Environmental
Law Center. http://www.commercialappeal.com/story/news/politics/2017/03/28/tva-expects-no-impacttrumps-reversal-climate-change-order/99737490/

NAACP President and CEO Cornell William Brooks issued the following statement regarding
President Donald Trump’s Executive Order to roll back climate action. “The decision by President
Donald Trump to rollback the hard fought progress made on clean air and clean energy is extremely
disappointing and dangerous. … We are now on a dangerous path that puts workers, communities and
the planet in harm’s way. … Communities of color and low income communities feel the impact first
and more severely due to pre-existing vulnerabilities. … We firmly refute the idea that a choice has to be
made between sustainable well-paying jobs or turning the tide of catastrophic climate change. … We
refuse to allow political pandering to come at the stake of the lives of our communities when we know
that there is an alternative that creates hundreds of thousands of jobs while upholding the well-being of
workers and communities and preserving the environment upon which we all rely for our very
existence.’” http://www.naacp.org/latest/naacp-statement-president-trumps-executive-order-roll-backclimate-action/
12
Medical Experts

American Lung Association: "Today's executive order directly contradicts EPA's core mission of
protecting public health and the environment, and undercuts the Agency's ability to achieve the promise
of the Clean Air Act – ensuring that all Americans are able to breathe clean, healthy air. Implementing
the Clean Power Plan alone would prevent 90,000 asthma attacks and 3,600 premature deaths every year
once fully in place. Our nation needs these lifesaving protections. Ignoring climate change puts the
health of millions of Americans at risk, and the longer our leaders delay climate action, the more the
public will suffer the consequences. The American Lung Association will actively oppose these
regulatory actions at every step of the process, and call on members of the public to do the same. Our
families and our health deserve nothing less." http://www.lung.org/about-us/media/pressreleases/american-lung-association-pledges-to-fight-trump-assault-on-clean-air.html
“The American Lung Association and its partners from coast to coast will push back,” said Lyndsay
Moseley Alexander, assistant vice president and director of its Healthy Air Campaign, citing the
projected loss of 300,000 school and work days a year to 2030, and an estimated 306,000 “lives ended
prematurely,” if the Clean Power Plan is scuttled. http://catholicphilly.com/2017/03/news/nationalnews/catholic-advocates-critical-of-trumps-order-to-review-clean-power-plan/

American Academy of Pediatrics: “The American Academy of Pediatrics opposes the Executive Order
issued today that rolls back critical protections for children's health. … As pediatricians, we know it is
impossible to separate the status of our environment from its impact on our patients' health. The Clean
Power Plan took significant steps forward for children by addressing the public health issue of climate
change and by helping to improve air quality. Clean air should not be a luxury, and it should not be
determined by ZIP code. We urge President Trump and his administration to support policies that ensure
a safe environment for children and families across the country, rather than those that undo the gains
we've made.” https://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/Pages/CPPExecutiveOrder.aspx

Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health: “The Executive Order threatens progress toward
addressing the risks of climate change, and doctors across the country are already seeing the harms to
human health associated with the resulting degradation of our life-sustaining environment. … As
medical professionals, many of our members know firsthand the harmful health effects of climate change
on patients. We know that addressing climate change through reduction in fossil fuel use will lead to
cleaner air and water providing health benefits for Americans, and will help limit global climate
change. Our organizations are committed to working with officials at all levels to reduce emissions of
heat-trapping pollution, and with health agencies to promote research on effective interventions that
strengthen the public health infrastructure with the aim of protecting human health from climate
change.” https://medsocietiesforclimatehealth.org/latest-news/statement-medical-society-consortiumclimate-health/

American College of Physicians: "Today's executive order moves us in the wrong direction on this
issue," said Nitin S. Damle, MD, MS, MACP, ACP President. "It signals a retreat from our nation's
efforts to curb carbon emissions and address climate change. Climate change is a problem we should be
attacking aggressively on a global level." https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-03/acopad032817.php
Labor Advocates

The BlueGreen Alliance’s Executive Director Kim Glas released the following statement: “The false
choice offered by the Trump administration and Republican leadership in Congress—this notion that
13
Americans must choose between good jobs and safe workplaces or a clean environment—has been
refuted again and again. When workers across this nation banded together to form unions and when
Americans demanded environmental protections like the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts, over and over
again we have proven that creating quality, family-sustaining jobs and environmental and workplace
protections go hand-in-hand.
“From clean energy to fuel economy standards to energy efficiency, efforts to clean up our environment
are creating and sustaining good jobs around the country. They are the solutions that Americans are
asking for, not more attacks on workers and the environment.” https://www.bluegreenalliance.org/thelatest/stopping-efforts-on-climate-change-bad-for-workers-environment/

Luisa Blue, Executive Vice President, Service Employees International Union, said:
“Working people from coast-to-coast are already feeling the devastating health impacts of toxic air and
water caused by corporate polluters who for too long have gone unchecked. By undoing the Clean Power
Plan, President Trump is reverting our communities to unhealthy and unsafe living conditions to benefit
corporations over our communities. We can have a vibrant economy and vibrant communities with clean
air and water.”
https://www.greenforall.org/trump_s_executive_order_repeals_environmental_protections_hurts_people
_he_claims_he_wants_to_help
National Security Experts

American Security Project (ASP): “While energy independence is a credible goal, the actions
suggested will not lead to real energy security. Rather, the order removes basic programs, such as the
Clean Power Plan and climate resilient development, which bolster the security of our country. This
Executive Order is a step in the wrong direction. The American Security Project does not support this
and calls on the new administration to protect our national security by effectively addressing climate
change. … As ASP has noted in previous posts, we cannot wait to address these looming threats. For too
long, America’s leaders in Congress have failed to address the challenges of climate change. Though the
Clean Power Plan may not have been a perfect policy, by taking definite action, it began to move the
U.S. toward stronger climate action and energy security.” http://www.americansecurityproject.org/aspcontinues-to-support-real-energy-security/
Environmental Organizations

GreenLatinos: “The President’s executive order today places families across the United States –
including Latino families, 40 percent of whom live within 30 miles of a power plant – at risk. It is a
President’s responsibility to improve the lives of our fellow citizens, but action after action from this
Administration has demonstrated a callous disregard for the welfare of our citizenry, and the President’s
announced executive order to roll back critical clean air, public health, and climate protections is no
different.
“Latinos are less likely to carry health insurance, which makes it difficult for them to cope with healthrelated problems caused by extreme air pollution. When it enters into effect, the Clean Power Plan will
reduce extreme weather events and improve the health of Latino communities. The President’s actions to
roll back the Clean Power Plan and other critical environmental regulations serves to underscore how out
of touch President Trump and his corporate polluter allies are from the views of most Americans, who
strongly support climate action. But the President cannot cancel regulations with the stroke of a pen. If
the EPA wants to undo the Clean Power Plan, the agency will have to explain in a new rule making
process why it now wants to depart from regulations that are the result of the most robust public
comment process it has ever undertaken. GreenLatinos will continue to advocate for strong climate
regulations that protect our communities and the climate. “
14

Paul Getsos, National Coordinator, Peoples Climate Movement: “This action, by an administration
that favors corporate profits over clean air and water, puts our country, our communities and our people
at great risk. It also sends a dangerous message to the world that the United States does not care about
climate change or protecting frontline communities.”
https://www.greenforall.org/trump_s_executive_order_repeals_environmental_protections_hurts_people
_he_claims_he_wants_to_help

Lydia D. Avila, Executive Director, the Power Shift Network, said: “Trump’s plan for America is
dangerously shortsighted. These regulations were meant to protect our future and young people will fight
tooth and nail against these roll backs. They are only one action out of many from the Trump
Administration that are hurting marginalized communities. Young people will continue fighting for a
just and equitable future for
all.” https://www.greenforall.org/trump_s_executive_order_repeals_environmental_protections_hurts_p
eople_he_claims_he_wants_to_help

Tom Steyer, NextGen Climate President, said:
“These actions are an assault on American values and they endanger the health, safety and prosperity of
every American. Trump is deliberately destroying programs that create jobs and safeguards that protect
our air and water, all for the sake of allowing corporate polluters to profit at our expense. In the face of
attacks like these, we will continue stand strong for our values and for a better future for every
American.”
https://www.greenforall.org/trump_s_executive_order_repeals_environmental_protections_hurts_people
_he_claims_he_wants_to_help

Gretchen Dahlkemper, Moms Clean Air Force National Field Director, said:
“As moms and dads, we are working together to protect what we love most: our children. President
Trump says he wants to protect clean air and clean water, but his pending executive order to roll back
public health protections achieved under the Clean Power Plan tells us otherwise. Overturning the Plan –
the most significant step that our country has ever taken to address the urgent crisis of climate change —
could trigger up to 3,600 premature deaths, 90,000 asthma attacks in children, and 300,000 missed work
and school days annually by 2030. Make no mistake: these measures will harm real lives and impose an
incalculable cost on our economy and our moral leadership in the world. As moms and dads, we say: not
on our watch.”
https://www.greenforall.org/trump_s_executive_order_repeals_environmental_protections_hurts_people
_he_claims_he_wants_to_help

Trip Van Noppen, Earthjustice President, said:
“Champagne corks are popping in the board rooms of big corporate polluters as they celebrate this illdisguised fossil fuel industry wish-list of an executive order, which will wreak havoc on efforts to tackle
climate change and protect our communities. At a moment when we desperately need to expand climate
solutions, President Trump is trying to block the rise of clean energy to benefit fossil fuel billionaires
who are already lining their pockets with massive taxpayer subsidies.”
https://www.greenforall.org/trump_s_executive_order_repeals_environmental_protections_hurts_people
_he_claims_he_wants_to_help

Kierán Suckling, Center for Biological Diversity Executive Director, said:
“Trump just took his war against our climate to a terrifying new level. Reducing power-plant pollution is
mandated by the Clean Air Act, and Trump can’t undo science and law with the stroke of a pen. We’ll
fight in court to defend this critical effort to protect our planet from global warming.”
https://www.greenforall.org/trump_s_executive_order_repeals_environmental_protections_hurts_people
_he_claims_he_wants_to_help

Daniel Abdullah, Alliance for Climate Education 16 year-old Fellow, said:
“Trump’s actions in combatting the CPP and removing necessary regulation on carbon emissions show
that he has no concern for the implications of climate change on future generations. By denying proven
scientific fact, he is putting our futures at risk. It is our responsibility to make our presence known, our
15
voices heard, and hold him accountable for the harm he is causing to our health, and our future. “
https://www.greenforall.org/trump_s_executive_order_repeals_environmental_protections_hurts_people
_he_claims_he_wants_to_help

Angela Anderson, Union of Concerned Scientists Climate and Energy Program Director, said:
“The Trump administration’s actions to rescind the Clean Power Plan without proposing a robust
alternative are dangerously irresponsible and completely at odds with the urgent need to address climate
change—and it defies the ruling of the Supreme Court which found that the EPA was responsible for
regulating carbon. Climate impacts—including worsening flooding due to sea level rise and heavy
precipitation, droughts, wildfires and heat waves—are already having a costly effect on Americans.
Instead of acting at the behest of fossil fuel interests, our nation’s leaders must instead prioritize
Americans’ health and security.”
https://www.greenforall.org/trump_s_executive_order_repeals_environmental_protections_hurts_people
_he_claims_he_wants_to_help

Aura Vasquez, Director of Climate Justice, Center for Popular Democracy, said:
“Hearing the EPA administrator deny that CO2 is the primary contributor to global warming is nothing
short of an atrocity. This basic fact is at the heart of all of our efforts to stop the devastation of climate
change. Denying the science of this reality will impact millions of people on the front lines of a
dangerously changing climate, especially low-income communities and communities of color. More than
ever, we need to take to the streets at the People’s Climate March in April 29 and show the impacts of
carbon pollution on our communities and our health – and by doing so, demonstrate the real threat
of climate change.”
https://www.greenforall.org/trump_s_executive_order_repeals_environmental_protections_hurts_people
_he_claims_he_wants_to_help

Rhea Suh, Natural Resources Defense Council President, said:
“The Clean Power Plan is the strongest measure we’ve taken to protect future generations from the
growing dangers of climate change. It would cut the climate-disrupting fossil fuel pollution from the
power plants that account for 40 percent of the nation’s carbon footprint. By promoting efficiency, the
plan would save our families money on their power bills. It would spur job growth. And it would help
prepare our workers for success in the global clean energy boom projected to draw more than $7 trillion
in investment over the coming 25 years. If he’s serious about creating more good-paying middle class
jobs, why would Trump want to kill that plan?”
https://www.greenforall.org/trump_s_executive_order_repeals_environmental_protections_hurts_people
_he_claims_he_wants_to_help

Michael Brune, Sierra Club Executive Director, said:
“Trump’s attack on climate action, clean energy, and the Clean Power Plan could cost billions of dollars
and thousands of lives. The safeguards Donald Trump is trying to throw out protect all families in
America by curbing dangerous carbon pollution and reducing other toxic pollutants like mercury, smog,
and sulfur dioxide — but unfortunately Trump would clearly rather pad the fossil fuel industry’s profits.
Even Trump can’t stop the booming clean energy economy, as people all over the country have
organized to help push coal to its lowest level in history and cities like Salt Lake City, Utah and
Georgetown, Texas are committing to 100 percent clean energy. Trump can’t reverse the Clean Power
Plan or our clean energy progress with the stroke of a pen, because we will fight him in the courts, in the
streets on April 29 and beyond, and at the state and local level everywhere across the country.”
https://www.greenforall.org/trump_s_executive_order_repeals_environmental_protections_hurts_people
_he_claims_he_wants_to_help

Mike Tidwell, Executive Director, Chesapeake Climate Action Network, said:
“Donald Trump wants to take us back to the dark ages. Instead of moving this country forward to a clean
energy economy that would create good, sustaining jobs, his actions will poison our communities and
keep our communities reliant on dirty, dangerous fossil fuels while also abandoning our position as
climate leaders on the international stage. But we can promise the Trump administration this: Every
16
attack on climate progress will bring a new wave of resistance. We will not back down.”
https://www.greenforall.org/trump_s_executive_order_repeals_environmental_protections_hurts_people
_he_claims_he_wants_to_help

May Boeve, 350.org, Executive Director, said:
“This all-out attack on our climate and communities will be met with historic resistance. Trump is once
again propping up the reckless fossil fuel industry while slashing any protections that put people before
profits. As concern about global warming reaches a three-decade record high, there’s overwhelming
support from the American people for climate action. On April 29th, we’re taking our vision and our
resistance to Washington for the Peoples Climate March with people from every corner of the country
who are ready to keep fighting for our future.”
https://www.greenforall.org/trump_s_executive_order_repeals_environmental_protections_hurts_people
_he_claims_he_wants_to_help

Gene Karpinski, President, League of Conservation Voters, said:
“On the heels of the three hottest years on record, President Trump is reversing the biggest steps our
country has taken to fighting climate change. Rolling back these public health protections shows Trump
cares more about big polluters than the well-being of our communities. There is no excuse for unsafe
drinking water, dirty air, more asthma attacks in kids, and increased extreme weather events that destroy
homes and livelihoods. Donald Trump may care more about corporate interests, but the people of this
country care about a safe, clean and healthy environment and they will not let him get away with
destroying it. This is why LCV is sponsoring the fight for climate, justice and a clean energy economy
on April 29 at the Peoples Climate March in Washington, DC.”
https://www.greenforall.org/trump_s_executive_order_repeals_environmental_protections_hurts_people
_he_claims_he_wants_to_help

Western Resource Advocates:
President Trump today issued executive orders to roll back the Clean Power Plan, which had been set to
reduce carbon pollution by nearly one-third by 2030, compared to 2005 levels.
Steve Michel, WRA Clean Energy Program Chief of Policy Development, made the following
statement: “The Trump administration’s rollback of the Clean Power Plan is in direct opposition to
Western values and fails to follow the clean energy path that many Western states are already pursuing.
Recent polling shows strong support among Republican, Democrat, and Independent voters for clean
energy. For example, 65% of Western voters prefer solar and wind power over other energy sources.
Many Western legislators and governors have responded to this popular support for clean energy by
positioning their states to comply with or to surpass the Clean Power Plan’s goals.
“We urge Western governors to continue to stand with their constituents, to ensure thriving
communities, and to protect our health by leading bipartisan, state-level efforts to advance clean energy.”
http://westernresourceadvocates.org/news/trump-administration-rollback-clean-power-plan-conflictswestern-states-actions-values/

Center for Western Priorities: “The executive order is accepting a bad deal for taxpayers when it
comes to coal leases, said Jesse Prentice-Dunn, advocacy director for the Center for Western Priorities,
in a statement Tuesday. “This order won’t bring the coal industry back, but it will ensure coal companies
rip off American taxpayers for years to come,” he said. “It seems President Trump is looking out for coal
executives, not negotiating for American taxpayers.” http://trib.com/business/energy/trump-orders-arewrite-of-clean-power-plan-as-experts/article_934083ef-e2f2-588a-b53e-51fb03a3d4fb.html

World Resources Institute (WRI): ““The Clean Power Plan is a flexible and commonsense approach
to reduce emissions from the power sector. It’s already helping to shift markets toward clean energy,
which is good for the economy and American competitiveness. The administration should not be rolling
back the safeguards that protect our air from methane emissions and limits on coal leasing on public
lands. The administration is also wrong to withdraw support for local communities which need to be
strong and secure in the face of rising seas, extreme weather events, and other climate impacts.”
http://www.wri.org/news/2017/03/statement-trump-executive-order-sweeping-attack-us-climate-action
17

EDF: March 27 https://www.edf.org/media/new-executive-order-points-us-backward-era-morepollution-and-more-disease
March 28: https://www.edf.org/media/new-executive-order-weaken-public-health-standards-will-costamerican-lives
Other NGOs

Oxfam: “President Trump’s reprehensible move to dismantle US progress in fighting climate change is
yet another signal that this administration could not care less about the millions of vulnerable people
around the world who live on the front lines of a climate crisis they did not create. These actions cater to
the fossil fuel industry and corporate elites, while leaving the most vulnerable high and dry. … “This
move will threaten the US’s international credibility and puts the country’s national and economic
security at risk. The world is moving quickly towards a clean energy economy, with or without US
leadership. The move will only jeopardize America’s competitiveness globally and pave the way for
others to fill the void.” https://www.oxfamamerica.org/press/oxfam-reaction-to-reports-on-theupcoming-executive-order-aimed-to-dismantle-us-climate-actions-and-to-rollback-progress-on-buildingclimate-resilience-in-the-us-and-abroad/

Consumers Union: “Shannon Baker-Branstetter, policy counsel for Consumers Union, said,
“Withdrawing the Clean Power Plan is a mistake that will cost consumers more in the long run, in the
form of higher energy and health care bills.
“The Clean Power Plan offers states a flexible approach to reduce emissions, expand clean and
renewable energy, and boost energy efficiency efforts. Meeting the goals of the Plan would save the
average U.S. household nearly $161 a year on their energy bills in 2030...
“Zeroing out the social cost of carbon will also harm consumers. …
“The reality is that states and energy markets are already moving in the direction of clean energy. Rather
than slowing down this progress, the federal government should be encouraging states to boost
renewables and energy efficiency to help lower utility bills for consumers, reduce pollution, and expand
economic growth.” http://consumersunion.org/news/withdrawing-cpp-higher-consumer-costs/
***
U.S. and Global Leaders

James Connaughton, former Bush CEQ chair: "I have a very bizarre perspective that in order to save
coal in America, you actually have to regulate carbon in some form," Connaughton said, emphasizing
the need for certainty…
"Nobody in their right mind will put money up for new coal plants unless they know where it fits in the
overall carbon curve," Connaughton said.
"Even the aspirations of the Trump administration to retain a place for coal in the energy markets is not
the kind of thing that gets Wall Street terribly excited. And it's not the kind of thing that gets a lot of the
big family trusts terribly excited to put money into,."
http://www.eenews.net/eedaily/2017/03/28/stories/1060052172

Obama’s rules would have destroyed more coal-based electricity generation if it went into force, but
stopping the slide is different from bringing back plants that have already shuttered or announced their
closure, according to Jason Bordoff, who served in Obama’s White House and is the director of
Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy.
"Scrapping the Clean Power Plan may slow the decline of coal -- but it’s not bringing coal back,"
Bordoff said. "The primary drivers of coal’s decline have been domestically weak electricity demand,
cheap natural gas and falling renewable cost."
18
https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2017-03-27/trump-s-order-won-t-resurrect-jobs-of-minerskey-to-his-campaign

Christiana Figueres, former executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change who helped broker the Paris accord, lamented Trump's order.
"Trying to make fossil fuels remain competitive in the face of a booming clean renewable power sector,
with the clean air and plentiful jobs it continues to generate, is going against the flow of economics," she
said.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-energy-idUSKBN16Z1L6

Janet McCabe, the former head of the EPA Office of Air and Radiation that helped develop the Clean
Power Plan, defended the measure as a "solid, reasonable and flexible rule based on years of research
and outreach that follows" an ongoing market transition toward cleaner energy. "EPA has an obligation
to address carbon pollution," she said in an emailed statement. "Congress put the Clean Air Act in place
to protect Americans from air pollution, and there is no doubt greenhouse gases are air pollution; the
science makes that crystal clear." http://www.investors.com/news/trump-to-cancel-obama-policiesaimed-at-paris-climate-pledge/

Gina McCarthy, a former administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, called it a
“dangerous,” order that flies “in the face of EPA’s mission.”
“They want us to travel back to when smokestacks damaged our health and polluted our air, instead of
taking every opportunity to support clean jobs of the future,” McCarthy said in a statement. “This is not
just dangerous; it’s embarrassing to us and our businesses on a global scale to be dismissing
opportunities for new technologies, economic growth, and US leadership.”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-climate-executive-orderenvironmentalists_us_58d9ec2ae4b018c4606ae900

Christine Todd Whitman, “We lose any ability, any moral authority, to say to any other country, ‘You
have to clean up your act,’” said Christine Todd Whitman, the former Republican governor of New
Jersey and EPA administrator during the George W. Bush administration.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/mar/27/paris-climate-treaty-faces-us-exit-after-donald-tr/

Bill Becker, executive director of the National Association of Clean Air Agencies, noted that 75 percent
of the states are already meeting their 2022 interim greenhouse gas targets under the Clean Power Plan,
20 percent of the states are meeting their 2030 final targets, and 85 percent of the states are on track to
meet their final 2030 targets.
"The CPP lays the groundwork for ... integration of state air quality, energy and utility planning, and
expanded dialogue among states and between regions of the country," Becker said today. "If the Trump
executive order prevails, the CPP will, nonetheless, leave a legacy in the form of a substantial impact on
states' actions to address the challenges of climate change."
http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2017/03/28/stories/1060052207

Former Pennsylvania environmental secretary John Quigley, now at the Kleinman Center for Energy
Policy at the University of Pennsylvania, says in the short term, Pennsylvania is on track to meet its
emissions targets, thanks to the increased use of natural gas. “But over the long term, without the [Clean
Power Plan], Pennsylvanians will pay the price in worsened air quality, decreased public health, and pass
on even more severe climate risks to their children and grandchildren,” Quigley writes in an email. “The
fact that the United States is walking away from meaningful – and low cost – action on climate change
and abdicating its role as international leader is unconscionable.”
https://stateimpact.npr.org/pennsylvania/2017/03/28/in-pennsylvania-trumps-climate-order-met-withanger-and-relief/

Attorney James Rubin, a partner at Dorsey & Whitney who previously served in the Environment
and Natural Resources Division of the US Department of Justice, said corporations can expect a
friendlier approach to energy development. And this, in turn, could possibly mean lower energy prices.
19
“State and industry will likely see a more supportive environment for energy and resource development
projects and a significantly diminished federal regulatory role,” Rubin said. “It remains to be seen,
however, what kind of effect these actions will ultimately have on a power sector that has moved away
from coal in favor of cheaper natural gas and growing renewables.”
https://www.environmentalleader.com/2017/03/businesses-mixed-trump-climate-change-executiveorder/

Former Vice President Al Gore called Trump’s actions “a misguided step away from a sustainable,
carbon-free future for ourselves and generations to come.”
“It is essential, not only to our planet, but also to our economic future, that the United States continues to
serve as a global leader in solving the climate crisis by transitioning to clean energy, a transition that will
continue to gain speed due to the increasing competitiveness of solar and wind,” Gore said.
“No matter how discouraging this executive order may be, we must, we can and we will solve the
climate crisis,” he said. “No one man or group can stop the encouraging and escalating momentum we
are experiencing in the fight to protect our planet.”
http://www.commercialappeal.com/story/news/politics/2017/03/28/tva-expects-no-impact-trumpsreversal-climate-change-order/99737490/

Michael Bloomberg, the former mayor of New York, said: “No matter what any elected official says,
rescinding commonsense climate change regulations and popular public health protections will not
revive the coal industry or put thousands of miners back to work.
“Market forces, including consumer preferences and technological advancement, are the primary reason
for the surge in cleaner forms of energy. In fact, even without the clean power plan, we are likely to hit
its emissions targets ahead of schedule – because consumers, cities and businesses will continue leading
on public health and climate change even when Washington won’t.” https://www.theguardian.com/usnews/2017/mar/28/trump-clean-power-plan-executive-order-coal-industry

Heather Zichal, former Deputy Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change:
“President Trump’s executive order to roll back vital climate and clean air protection’s this afternoon is
the most brazen and transparent assault on the health of Americans in my lifetime. Today’s action
merely confirms what we feared would be a giveaway to polluters at the expense of most hard working
Americans. What’s most cynical, however, is that it was all done in the name of saving the jobs of coal
miners and other coal workers that the President’s executive order has no chance of saving, despite his
ardent promises and pandering to the contrary. The market, and not pollution limits, is driving the
decline in coal jobs. Ironically, even coal executives, like Robert Murray of Murray Energy, are
admitting as much and downplaying the impact of today’s presidential action. All this executive order
does is endanger the health of a majority of Americans to benefit very deep pocketed and influential
polluters who would choose profit over public health.”

"This is reckless, arrogant policy that ignores the safety and well-being of our country and our children,"
said former Special Envoy for Climate Change Todd Stern, who helped broker the 2015 accord.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2017/03/29/stories/1060052222

Christy Goldfuss, former Obama CEQ chair and current VP for Energy & Environment Policy at the
Center for American Progress: “President Trump’s executive order is a costly set of bad ideas ripped
from the talking points of the oil industry, coal company executives, and powerful corporate interests
that have unprecedented access to his administration. Each section of this executive order threatens
human health, wastes taxpayer dollars, and undermines critical protections for our nation’s clean air and
water. It is clear that special interests are behind the Trump administration’s extreme anti-environmental
agenda, and the president continues to demonstrate his intention to pad the wallets of his already wealthy
friends at the expense of American families across the country.”
https://www.americanprogress.org/press/statement/2017/03/28/429344/statement-trumps-antienvironmental-executive-order-disaster-health-americans-environment-says-caps-christy-goldfuss/
20
***
Academics and Scientists

Exactly how the Clean Power Plan will affect the Paris Climate Agreement is "unknowable," Richard
Lazarus, an environmental law professor at Harvard University told ABC News.
"As a formal matter, we cannot really withdraw from Paris for about two years," said Lazarus. Rolling
back the Clean Power Plan "affects our standing in the world as a leader in climate change issues and
we’ll have to see what the other countries do," he said, adding that China might welcome the United
States’ withdrawal as it would provide the country with an opportunity to take leadership on a global
issue and take the charge on clean technology innovations.” http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/presidenttrump-order-review-clean-power-plan/story?id=46410430

Christopher Field, a professor at Stanford University’s Wood Institute for the Environment, said in an
email that the directive carries long-term risks, rather than immediate ones. “Some are risks from eroding
the position of U.S. companies in the clean energy sector,” Field said. “Others are from the loss of
irreplaceable natural heritage that is put in jeopardy by ill-conceived policies.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/trump-moves-decisively-to-wipe-out-obamasclimate-change-record/2017/03/27/411043d4-132c-11e7-9e4f-09aa75d3ec57_story.html

Charley Driscoll, Distinguished Professor of Environmental Systems Engineering at Syracuse
University & member of the National Academy of Engineering: “Our research shows that a power plant
standard like the Clean Power Plan could save thousands of lives in communities across the United
States every year. The health gains from a standard like the Clean Power Plan yield net economic
benefits that would far outweigh the costs. The economic benefits tend to be greatest in highly populated
areas near or downwind from coal-fired power plants that experience a shift to cleaner sources with the
standards. If we overturn the Clean Power Plan we will forfeit important health benefits and undermine
the longstanding American tradition of energy innovation and clean air progress, at a time when we need
it most.” https://yubanet.com/scitech/trump-action-on-clean-power-plan-threatens-air-quality-health-andeconomic-benefits/

“We don’t import coal,” said Robert N. Stavins, an energy economist at Harvard University. “So in
terms of the Clean Power Plan, this has nothing to do with so-called energy independence whatsoever.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/28/climate/trump-executive-order-climate-change.html

“Meeting the U.S. terms of the Paris Agreement would require full enforcement of the current
regulations, plus additional regulations,” said Michael Oppenheimer, a climate scientist at Princeton
University. “It takes a comprehensive effort involving every country doing what they committed to and
more.” He said Mr. Trump’s order “sends a signal to other countries that they might not have to meet
their commitments — which would mean that the world would fail to stay out of the climate danger
zone.” https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/28/climate/trump-executive-order-climate-change.html

"While there's no political support in the administration for the Clean Power Plan, it's not the kind of
thing you can just do away with quickly," David Konisky, Environmental Affairs professor at Indiana
University, told CNBC in an interview.

“The new headline should be ‘Trump to Future Generations: Drop Dead,’” Michael Gerrard, the
director of the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia Law School, writes in an email to The
Verge. “These orders aim both to maximize future greenhouse gas emissions, and to halt efforts to
prepare for the climate change that is coming. His budget also aims to cut off support for scientific
research to find causes and solutions. This is a true trifecta of ways to endanger our grandchildren.”
http://www.theverge.com/2017/3/28/15076700/trump-clean-power-plan-executive-order-climatechange-health

Utilities "are not going to flip on a dime and say now it's time to start building a whole bunch of coal
plants because there's a Trump administration," said Brian Murray, director of environmental
21
economics at Duke University's Nicholas Institute.
https://apnews.com/e93d2dc4dd2b419b9695b7c454ec9c6b

Rush Holt, CEO of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS): "Scientific
research helps us better understand climate change and society’s potential responses, including decisions
by individuals, communities, businesses and federal agencies," he said. "There is much our nation can do
to address the risks that climate change poses to human health and safety, but disregarding scientific
evidence puts our communities in danger."
https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2017/03/29/scientists-blast-trump-executive-order-climate

Tom Sanzillo, director of finance for the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, said in
an interview that the move “becomes a largely politically symbolic measure for right now” because
other, lower-carbon sources of energy are out-competing coal. He noted that U.S. coal consumption has
declined 27 percent since 2005, from 1.02 billion tons to 739 million tons in 2016, its lowest level in
nearly four decades.
“They’re not going to reverse the fundamental economic law here,” Sanzillo said. “There’s no market
signal that’s telling them they should be mining more coal.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/trump-moves-decisively-to-wipe-out-obamasclimate-change-record/2017/03/27/411043d4-132c-11e7-9e4f-09aa75d3ec57_story.html
***
Power Companies

American Electric Power: "We will continue our transition to more natural gas and renewables as we
balance out our generation portfolio and provide cleaner energy," said Tammy Rideout, a spokeswoman
for Columbus, Ohio-based American Electric Power Co., which owns about 26,000 megawatts of
generating capacity, about half of which is coal-fueled.
https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2017-03-27/trump-s-order-won-t-resurrect-jobs-of-minerskey-to-his-campaign
“[Our] long-term strategy is focused on generating and delivering electricity in ways that meet the needs
and expectations of our customers,” Nick Akins, chief executive of American Electric Power, one of the
nation’s largest utilities, said in an email. “That includes diversifying our fuel mix and investing in
renewable generation and other innovations that increase efficiency and reduce emissions. That won’t
change.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/as-trump-halts-federal-action-onclimate-change-cities-and-states-push-on/2017/03/27/8d093b8c-1319-11e7-ada01489b735b3a3_story.html

Duke Energy: “Because of the competitive price of natural gas and the declining price of renewables,
continuing to drive carbon out makes sense for us,” Lynn Good, the chief executive of Duke Energy,
told The Wall Street Journal on Monday. https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2017/03/trumpclimate-eo/520986/

Murray Energy: Robert Murray, the founder and CEO of Murray Energy, said Trump should “temper
his expectations,” given the way market forces — rather than regulations — have hurt the coal industry
and reduced employment. “I suggested that he temper his expectations,” Murray told The Guardian.
“Those are my exact words. He can’t bring them back.” http://thehill.com/policy/energyenvironment/325891-coal-executive-trump-cant-bring-mining-jobs-back

NRG: Marijke Shugrue, a spokeswoman for another major utility, NRG, said the company “set our
sustainability goals back in 2014 unconnected to the Clean Power Plan. Whatever happens to that, our
goals still stand. It made sense before, and it still makes sense.”
22
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/as-trump-halts-federal-action-on-climatechange-cities-and-states-push-on/2017/03/27/8d093b8c-1319-11e7-ada0-1489b735b3a3_story.html

Southern Company plans to invest at least $1 billion a year over the next five years in new wind farms.
It now uses natural gas to generate 47% of its power, with coal providing 31%, nuclear 15%, and
hydropower, wind, solar and other renewable sources 7%.
“Going forward, we anticipate an increase in renewable generation capacity and declining utilization of
coal,” said Terrell McCollum, a spokesman for the Atlanta-based utility.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/despite-trump-move-utilities-shift-from-coal-is-set-to-continue1490693406

Carbon emissions from Tennessee Valley Authority’s plants already are more than 30 percent below
2005 levels because of various measures the utility already has taken, TVA spokesman Scott Brooks
said. “TVA was investing in a low carbon future before the Clean Power Plan was created by closing
aging coal plants, investing in technology, more renewables, natural gas and nuclear energy,” Brooks
said. “Lower energy demand also contributed to lower carbon emissions.”
http://www.commercialappeal.com/story/news/politics/2017/03/28/tva-expects-no-impact-trumpsreversal-climate-change-order/99737490/

Xcel Energy says it is on target to meet the Clean Power Plan’s standards regardless of its fate. “At this
point, we really don’t see that it will affect our plan,” said Laura McCarten, a regional vice president for
Xcel. http://www.startribune.com/minnesota-should-not-be-affected-by-trump-s-rescinding-cleanpower-plan/417386803/
“Xcel Energy’s plans make economic and environmental sense regardless of the future of the Clean
Power Plan. We intend to keep moving forward with a low-priced, clean energy strategy that provides
the economical, clean energy our customers want,” said Ben Fowke, Chairman, President and CEO Xcel
Energy. http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/politics/trumps-order-undoing-anti-climate-changeefforts-draws-ire-of-colo-dems-applause-from-gop
***
Leading Businesses

American Sustainable Business Council (ASBC): “This executive order is anti-growth and antienvironment despite the rhetoric from the Administration. Last century energy technologies are losing
market share, and renewable energy is seeing explosive job growth. Fighting that trend will hurt
economic growth.
“Businesses want action that addresses climate change. They know that rolling back the Clean Power
Plan without a meaningful alternative in its place, like a carbon fee, will make climate change worse.
That will further hurt economic growth. The business community is looking for real leadership on
climate change and so far, all we’ve see are decisions from the polluters playbook.”
http://asbcouncil.org/news/press-release/businesses-condemn-executive-order-anti-growth-antienvironment#.WNqr7vkrKM8

CERES: Ceres president Mind Lubber called Trump’s action “completely misguided and ignores the
irreversible clean energy economy that is already underway, creating good-paying jobs and economic
vitality in communities across the country.” In a statement, Lubber cited the more than 365 US
companies and investors that publicly supported the Clean Power Plan when it was announced in 2015,
as well as the more than 1,000 companies and investors that endorsed the recently released the Business
Backs Low-Carbon USA statement.
23
“Companies and investors from across the country support the Clean Power Plan and other low-carbon
policies currently under attack because they are precisely the type of consistent, forward-thinking
frameworks the business community wants and needs to invest and grow with confidence and certainty,”
Lubber said.
https://www.environmentalleader.com/2017/03/businesses-mixed-trump-climate-change-executiveorder/
Original release: http://3blmedia.com/News/Trump-Administration-Climate-Action-Rollback-DecisionMisguided-and-Economically-Damaging

Businesses for Social Responsibility (BSR): “BSR regrets today’s executive order from U.S. President
Donald Trump to dismantle the Clean Power Plan, a set of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
policies that are intended to reduce the United States’ greenhouse gas emissions by 32 percent from 2005
levels and cut carbon pollution from the power sector by 30 percent by 2030. In combination with the
administration's dramatic cuts to climate programs at the EPA and U.S. State Department, this
announcement undermines policies that have stimulated economic growth, consumer savings, job
creation, infrastructure investment, private-sector competitiveness, and public health.”
http://3blmedia.com/News/BSRs-Statement-US-Administration-Executive-Order-Climate-Change

Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2): E2: Bob Keefe, executive director of Environmental
Entrepreneurs, said the Clean Power Plan would have been “a huge economic catalyst.”
“President Trump is basically telling California's more than 40,000 clean-energy businesses and the
500,000 workers they employ that they don't matter to him,” he said.
http://www.latimes.com/politics/essential/la-pol-ca-essential-politics-updates-california-clean-power1490714634-htmlstory.html

Ben & Jerry’s: “The #CleanPowerPlan is under attack...for “clean” coal? The only thing we should be
mining is chunks from a pint. http://benjerrys.co/2ngbxM0”
https://twitter.com/benandjerrys/status/846798830276427776

Mars Inc.: “We’re disappointed the administration has decided to roll back climate regulations such as
the clean power plan and others,” said Edward Hoover, senior manager of Corporate Communications
for Mars. “Corporations can’t do it alone. Governments play a critical role in mitigating the effects of
climate change on our economy.” https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/mar/29/climatechange-companies-challenge-trump-mars-staples-gap

Staples: “We will continue to support the EPA’s clean power plan and the reduction of carbon emissions
associated with electrical power generation,” added Mark Buckley, vice-president of environmental
affairs for Staples, calling it “smart business”.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/mar/29/climate-change-companies-challenge-trumpmars-staples-gap

Gap Inc.: “We believe that investing in a low-carbon economy will not only help foster a healthier
environment, it is also a key to unlocking new business growth potential for the US and around the
world,” said Gap Inc spokesperson Laura Wilkinson. Wilkinson added that the company would continue
to “advocate for low carbon policies that will help ensure a healthier and more prosperous future.”
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/mar/29/climate-change-companies-challenge-trumpmars-staples-gap

Seventh Generation: “We stand firm in our support of the clean power plan,” said Ashley Orgain,
manager of mission advocacy for Seventh Generation. “Climate change is harming our health now, some
of us more than others.” https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/mar/29/climate-changecompanies-challenge-trump-mars-staples-gap

Walmart: Fighting climate change is “good for the business, our shareholders and customers; if
ultimately we are able to positively impact the environment in the process, that’s a win too,” Wal-Mart
spokesman Kevin Gardner said in an email. https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2017-0330/apple-wal-mart-stick-with-climate-pledges-despite-trump-s-pivot
24

General Electric: "We believe climate change is real and the science is well accepted," General Electric
Co.’s Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Immelt, wrote in an internal blog post shared by the company.
"We hope that the United States continues to play a constructive role in furthering solutions to these
challenges, and at GE, we will continue to lead with our technology and actions.”
https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2017-03-30/apple-wal-mart-stick-with-climate-pledgesdespite-trump-s-pivot

Tech companies including Apple, Google, Amazon, Microsoft: “We believe that strong clean energy
and climate policies, like the Clean Power Plan, can make renewable energy supplies more robust and
address the serious threat of climate change while also supporting American competitiveness,
innovation, and job growth,” the companies said in a joint statement after Trump’s order was signed.
https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2017-03-30/apple-wal-mart-stick-with-climate-pledgesdespite-trump-s-pivot

Proctor & Gamble: “We will continue to integrate sustainability into our business practices, operations,
innovation, brand building and culture,” Damon Jones, a spokesman for Procter & Gamble said.
https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2017-03-30/apple-wal-mart-stick-with-climate-pledgesdespite-trump-s-pivot
25